Video games can bring people together like no other form of entertainment. In Part I, we introduced you to Rosana and Wouter, a Dutch couple who fell in love through their shared passion for The Sims. In Part II, we’ll relive their Sims-themed wedding.
How did you get the idea of a Sims themed wedding?
Wouter: We met because of the game, but we didn’t really discuss the theme much at the beginning, but as we decided on decorations (mostly by Rosana just ordering things online) it ended up being Sims-themed.
Rosana: The theme…just sort of happened. Wouter isn’t really into decorating so he mostly left it to me. I started looking for plumbob decorations and soon found that I had to create most of the special Sims decorations myself.
Rosana: I also designed the illustrations for the wedding cake, which had elements of Los Angeles (E3), San Francisco, and The Sims. One of my best friends is amazing at making cakes, and we hired him to make ours. The illustrations were printed onto edible fondant during our wedding week.
Tell us more about the wedding!
Wouter: After getting up early, I drove to one of our Sims community friends who had made the cake. We drove the cake back to the venue, and after some final tweaking to the decorations and the sound system, it was time for lunch. After that, I changed into my outfit, said hello to few early guests and waited for the day to really get going.
Rosana: My bridesmaid picked me and two of our international guests up early in the morning and we left to go to the salon. There I got my hair, make-up and nails done. After this we travelled to the wedding venue, where we had lunch all the while changing in our wedding attire.
I was so nervous! Everything is a bit of a blur, since everything happened so fast!
What was the venue like?
Wouter: We wanted to get married at a location in the city, but the city’s fees were incredibly high for this. In the end, we went for a much cheaper solution: my parents’ backyard. We had a big tent set up in the garden.
Rosana: We were lucky too to have that nice big tent. The weather was pretty horrible. It was raining throughout the day. The garden is really pretty. Lots of green, flowers and plants all around.
The tent was decorated with a giant disco ball in the middle and the rest of the tent was decorated with colourful plumbob honeycombs, white Chinese lanterns, purple Woohoo hearts, and our Freezer Bunny invitation prints. Nearly all of the Sims community invitees decided to attend. It was definitely unique and that shared bond created lots of great memories for everyone.
What was it like to share your special day with your family and friends
Wouter: It was very special. I was amazed.
Rosana: Awesome! I think the majority of our relatives had no idea how we had met and our wedding day changed that. And I loved that at the end of the day relatives had learned Sims terminology from our Simming friends. They now even know what “woohoo” means.
What was your favorite part of the wedding?
Wouter: The most emotional was definitely the moment Rosana entered the tent, on a classical Sims 1 neighbourhood theme tune – very fitting! In the end, saying “I do” was the most important bit. Other highlights include cutting (and eating!) the cake, a special video from friends and chatting and laughing with friends and family.
Rosana: I don’t want to pick just one moment! I would have to say seeing Wouter again after being away from him for hours. It doesn’t seem like a long time at all, but on that day, I couldn’t wait to see him again. Hearing his vows was special too.
Did the wedding jewellery have any tie-in to The Sims?
Wouter: Our engagement rings had little plumbob shapes in the design, near the edges.
Rosana: I had plumbob shaped earrings, made of crystal glass! I kept these secret until the wedding day itself. Wouter, our sons and the Sims friends all appreciated those. I had gotten my bridesmaid a little gift as a thank you for her help with everything. It resembled a purple plumbob, which is also her favourite colour.
How did the Sims influencers and fans you invited react to the activities and surprises?
Wouter: They were all really enthusiastic. Most of them even kept the plumbob headbands on their heads from the moment we handed them out until the end of the day.
Rosana: The cake was a surprise for nearly everyone except Wouter, myself, my best man (who made the cake), and my bridesmaid. When the Sims fans saw that cake, they were so excited!
Did you have a honeymoon?
Wouter: We went on a trip to San Francisco, a city with a lot of special memories from previous trips together. Besides a lot of sight-seeing of the city and some of the nearby areas, we arranged to get a tour of the EA campus.
Rosana: When we arrived at EA, we had our pictures taken on that cool Sims sofa in the lobby. We then got a tour inside the Sims studio itself, which was very special. I was especially impressed with SimGuruSarah’s cubicle. It’s so cute and Simsy!
We gave Sarah our wedding favour, the little plumbob statue with our names on it. The murals and prints at The Sims Studio were amazing to see. I recognised plenty of illustrations from The Sims 4 game and its packs. The tour was simply the cherry on the cake!
Wouter: The people at the Sims studio were really excited to meet us. I must say there are a lot of lovely murals in the office, and of course there’s the big Sims sofa in the lobby. As a little extra touch, we also wore our Sims 4 wristbands every day of the honeymoon, just for fun.
Now that you’re married, what’s next?
Rosana: I have to say, I’m kind of relieved that the wedding is over now. Planning it was fun, but also stressful and hectic.
Wouter: Going back to “normal” life will be good again. And indeed, getting back to gaming and other hobbies will be a nice change!
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